Congress played crucial role in scripting BJP's Kairana defeat

LUCKNOW: It would have been a rocky path for SP-backed RLD candidate Tabassum Hasan in Kairana had Congress leaders not extended support and worked for her win against BJP’s Mriganka Singh.
As per the final result sheet, Tabassum secured 4,81,182 votes of the total 9,38,742 polled in Kairana, while Mriganka got 4,36,564 votes. Tabassum won by a margin of 44,618 votes.

Congress sources claimed that over 62% (28,000) of victory margin votes came from its state vice-president Imran Masood’s stronghold — Nakur assembly segment. Besides, Tabassum got a lead of over 12,000 votes in Gangoh assembly constituency which is Masood’s hometown.

Kairana parliamentary seat comprises of Shamli, Thana Bhawan, Kairana (in Shamli district) and Gangoh and Nakur (in Saharanpur district) assembly segments.

Congress claims to have a voter base of around 2.5 lakh in Kairana.

Congress had left Kairana for RLD in 2014 elections, while it finished second in Nakur, Gangoh and Shamli seats in 2017 assembly polls with its candidates polling two lakh total votes in the three seats. By not fielding its candidate from Kairana, Congress helped Tabassum seal victory by preventing split of votes.

UP Congress president Raj Babbar had said before bypoll, “We would do anything to defeat BJP in Kairana.” And the party line was well implemented by its state vice-president Masood who campaigned against BJP in all five assembly segments. What was even more significant, Masood moderated a truce between Tabassum and her estranged brother-in-law Kanwar Hasan who had filed nomination against her.

Kanwar’s withdrawal and joining Tabassum’s election campaign is said to have added 20,000-25,000 additional votes in Tabassum’s kitty in Kairana assembly segment.

Raj Babbar said on Thursday, “Kairana has set the tone for 2019. The bigger message is that public sentiment is against BJP and it is time for all opposition parties to unite the people against the politics of divide and rule.”

Masood said, “The election had put Jat-Muslim unity to test. I am happy that people of Saharanpur and Shamli have shown BJP its right position.”

“We have proven our worth which will make all opposition parties take talks of a joint opposition further,” party sources said.